A new regulation came into force on the 9th December 2015 extending the definition of dependants established in the Royal Decree 24/2007 which regulates EU/EEA citizens and their dependants.

This regulation adds to the category of persons who qualify as relatives/dependants covered by the European Union framework. The following persons are now included on the list provided that they accompany or are joining an EU national, namely:-

Members of the family, whatever their citizenship, who can provide strong evidence at the moment of filing the application of one the following:

That they depend financially on the principal or live with him/her in the country of origin, or

That due to serious illness or disability it is necessary for the EU national to be in charge of the personal care of that member, or

That they are Common Law partners and can provide evidence of a steady relationship. ​

A relationship is considered steady if it is of long-standing. In the case of marital cohabitation a steady relationship is accepted if at least one continuous year of cohabitation is proven, unless the couple have descendants in common, in which case this is sufficient to prove stable cohabitation.